Most people buy gym clothes badly. They buy one thing at a time, in whatever colour was on the front page, and six months later they own five black t-shirts, one pair of shorts and nothing to put on when it is cold in the car park.
Buying separates properly is not complicated. You need enough tops to cover the gap between sessions and washes, two bottoms so one is always dry, and one layer for the walk there and back. This guide builds that kit out of the ASICS range, costed, with a starter version and a fuller one. If you want the whole range laid out first, read our complete guide to ASICS clothing in the UK.
Work out how many tops you need first
Count your sessions a week, then subtract nothing. Train three times and wash once a week, you need three tops. Two means you are washing mid-week or wearing something twice, and everyone says they will not do that and everyone does.
Bottoms are different. Shorts survive a second wear far better than a top, so two pairs covers almost anyone. Buy tops in quantity, bottoms in quality.
The four pieces that matter
Vests
A vest is the most honest gym top there is. Nothing at the shoulder to catch on a bar, and you can actually watch your shoulders and back work, which is worth more than it sounds when you are learning a lift.
The Black Core Vest and Brown Stone Core Vest are £34.99, and the Aegean Blue Core Vest is £27.99, the cheapest way into the range. One vest is enough for most people, two if you train upper body more than twice a week. Our guide to the ASICS vests covers when a vest is the wrong call, which is more often than vest enthusiasts admit.
T-shirts
The workhorse. The Core T-Shirt is £34.99 and comes in seven colourways: Black, Smoke Grey, Lazer Orange, Vital Green, Maroon, Cream and Aqua.
Buy black first, Smoke Grey or Maroon second. Leave Cream until you own three others, because cream is the colour you will think twice about on a bench, and thinking twice about your t-shirt is a waste of a session. Our Core T-Shirt guide ranks the colourways properly.
The Foggy Teal Road T-Shirt at £49.99 is the running-led option, and not where your money should go first if you train indoors. More on it in our running clothing guide.
Shorts
Buy the 5in for legs and the 7in for everything else. That is the whole rule. The Black 5in at £39.99 is the better squat short because the hem stays clear of the knee, and the Aegean Blue 7in at £31.99 is the cheapest pair in the range and the one you can wear out of the gym without changing.
Grey, Sandstorm and Brown Stone fill out the 5in, Black and Maroon the 7in, all in the shorts collection. Undecided, read our 5in versus 7in guide.
The half-zip
The piece most people skip and then buy in November. The Black Sport Half-Zip at £29.99 is the right one for a gym bag: cheap enough that you do not care what happens to it, and quick to get out of when you start moving. The Black Core Half-Zip at £39.99 is the one if it will also be worn outside the gym. Our half-zip comparison covers the £10 difference.
The starter kit
Three pieces, enough for two or three sessions a week, one wash cycle, indoors.
| Piece | Why | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Black Core T-Shirt | Goes with everything, hides everything | £34.99 |
| Aegean Blue Core Vest | Cheapest top in the range, best for upper body days | £27.99 |
| Black 5in Core Woven Shorts | The better length for squats and lunges | £39.99 |
| Total | £102.97 |
Prices correct at time of writing.
That clears the £100 free UK delivery threshold with £2.97 to spare. Order before 2PM and it ships the same day.
The fuller kit
Seven pieces, enough for four or five sessions a week, all year, including the cold months and the walk to the gym.
| Piece | Why | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Black Core T-Shirt | Default top | £34.99 |
| Smoke Grey Core T-Shirt | Second default, stops the kit looking like a uniform | £34.99 |
| Black Core Vest | Upper body days and hot gyms | £34.99 |
| Black 5in Shorts | Leg days | £39.99 |
| Aegean Blue 7in Shorts | Everything else, and wearable outside | £31.99 |
| Black Sport Half-Zip | The layer in and out | £29.99 |
| Steel Grey Core Woven Pant | Winter bottoms, and the cheaper of the two pants | £39.99 |
| Total | £246.93 |
Prices correct at time of writing.
Build it in two or three orders, or spread it with Klarna or Clearpay at checkout. There is no rush on the pant until the weather turns.
What not to buy for the gym
The Core Windrunner at £89.99 is a good jacket and it is not gym kit. Buy it because you want a jacket. The Steel Grey at £59.99 is the cheaper way in, and our Windrunner guide has the detail.
A full set is a fine purchase and a poor gym kit. Sets are matched pairs, so when one half is in the wash you are back to mismatching anyway. Buy separates for training and a set for wearing out, and if you want both, read our ASICS capsule wardrobe guide.
And do not overthink the shoes. The Gel Kayano 14 and Gel-1130 are running and lifestyle silhouettes, excellent at that, but if you squat heavily most people get on better with something flatter. Our trainer picker covers the running side.
A note on colour
Keep the bottoms boring and put the colour up top. Black and grey shorts and pants go with all seven t-shirt colours, so every top you add multiplies rather than adds. Do it the other way round and you have bought a single outfit.
Everything runs S to XL. Check the sizing guide before your first order, and if you want a fit-by-fit breakdown, our ASICS sizing guide covers it.
Quick answers
How many gym tops do I actually need?
One per session between washes. Three tops for three sessions a week. Two pairs of shorts covers almost everyone, because shorts take a second wear better than tops do.
What is the cheapest ASICS gym kit?
The Aegean Blue Core Vest at £27.99 and the Aegean Blue 7in shorts at £31.99, which is £59.98 for a complete matching kit and the best value pairing in the range.
Should I buy an ASICS set or separates for training?
Separates. A set gives you one outfit that only works when both halves are clean. Separates in black and grey bottoms mix with every top you own.
Vest or t-shirt for the gym?
A vest for upper body work and hot gyms, a t-shirt for everything else and for gyms with a dress code. Own both. The Aegean Blue vest at £27.99 makes that an easy decision.
Do I need a half-zip for the gym?
Not to train in, but you will want one between October and April for getting there and back. The Sport Half-Zip at £29.99 is the right amount to spend on a layer that lives in a bag.
The full ASICS guide series
- ASICS Clothing UK: The Complete Men's Range Explained
- ASICS Core T-Shirts: Every Colourway, Fit and What They Match
- ASICS Vests: Core Vests, Sizing and When to Wear One
- ASICS Woven Pants and Trousers: Fit, Sizing and Colourways
- ASICS Shorts: 5in vs 7in, and Which Length to Buy
- ASICS Half-Zips: The Core and Sport Half-Zip Compared
- ASICS Running Clothing: What Works for Road Running
- The ASICS Core Range Explained: Every Piece and What It Costs
- How to Build an ASICS Outfit from Separates, Not a Set